🪖 Casemate d'Esch

The Casemate d'Esch is a pre-World War II fortified position near the German frontier in extreme northeastern France. Built in 1931, the casemate was part of an extension of the Maginot Line fortifications along France's border with Germany. As a unit of the Fortified Sector of Haguenau, the casemate was part of French defenses during the Battle of France, but saw no combat in 1940. The area was the scene of intense fighting between German and American forces in 1945. The casemate with the marks of the 1945 combat has been preserved and is part of a museum associated with the nearby Ouvrage Schoenenbourg. The museum is located at the southeastern edge of the town of Hatten.